How can the French transport minister learn from this?

Complaints about traffic chaos in Reading are on the up, as Evening Post readers are constantly telling us. Why then did the French transport minister Gilles de Robien visit the town to admire our traffic management? Transport Reporter ANNA DAVIS reports

EVERYONE knows that one of the main attractions of a motoring holiday in France is those long, empty roads.

You might pass a lonely family pottering along in their Citroën Deux Chevaux or a farmer bringing in his onion crop.

But even in the towns, you are likely to cruise through the central square without trouble before parking for free on the side of any street you choose.

Compare this to an afternoon in Reading; gridlock on the Caversham Road, cars at a standstill waiting to get into The Oracle and the car park that is the King's Road.

The contrast makes it hard to believe that the French could have anything to learn from us.

But it seems we control the traffic so well the council has been held up as a beacon to foreigners, notably the French transport boss Gilles de Robien and his English counterpart Alistair Darling, who visited last month.

The duo toured Reading's Traffic Control Centre, in the council's Civic Centre, so the French minister could see a good example of how big towns use technology to manage the movement of traffic.

The men, along with top level representatives from the Department of Transport, the French Government and the French Embassy saw how traffic cameras are used to monitor the roads around Reading and councillors also showed

off the town's SCOOT system, which links traffic lights around the town.

M de Robien was particularly interested in the use of traffic speed cameras for safety and went to see them in use in south Reading.

John Howarth, Reading's lead councillor for strategic planning and transport, spoke to the Transport Secretary about the need for major improvements to Reading's railway station and for a third Thames bridge.

Cllr Howarth said: "It speaks volumes for the progress being made in Reading that ministers are willing to present the council's work on traffic control as an example of good practice.

"It also gave me an excellent opportunity to discuss with the minister the vital importance of the Reading station project and the need for further Thames crossings, as studies favourable to both projects will come before the minister in the coming months."

But Rebecca Rees, spokeswoman for the AA, was surprised to hear Reading had been hailed as a transport success story.

She said: "Anyone who has regular business in Reading will be quite surprised at this.

"Reading has its fair share of problems - shop in The Oracle and you will get stuck in traffic, problems during rush hour and the M4 also has major problems."

But Ms Rees said there are many ways in which Reading could manage its traffic.

She said: "Bypasses are very important, the one in Newbury has worked wonders. Reading could also try more park and ride systems.

"You cannot be too complacent, there is no escaping the fact that more needs to be done."